Jhajjar Kotli incident : SKIMS nursing students demand release of Iqbal Rather

Srinagar, Sep 15: The nursing  students at SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here on Saturday demanded release of their fellow Mohammad Iqbal Rather.
Rather was arrested on September 12, along with a truck driver from  Nagrota -Jhajjar Kotli  stretch of Srinagar-Jammu highway for his alleged involvement  in the Jhajjar Kotli encounter.
Staging protest at Press Enclave here, the under-graduate and post-graduate students of the college said Rather  was “innocent”.
“He is presently doing internship and within a few months, he will be completing his degree,” said Shaila Qureshi.
Qureshi, while terming Rather a hardworking student, said they were in a shock since the time police said he was in touch with the militants.
“It is out of our imagination. He is a good student and has been doing good in his studies,” she said.
The students said Rather was arrested “far away” from the encounter site, hence his arrest was”questionable”.
“He took lift from somebody. He handed over him to the Police. It is the  driver,who named him. He was arrested around 15 kms away from the encounter site.It is obvious that a  person will feel nervous, when encounter was going on in the vicinity,” said another student, Nighat Sabha.
The students said he was on his way to Jammu in connection with the treatment of his father.
“He is innocent.His parents are worried for him.His father is ill. For the last three days, they are unaware about his whereabouts.Police should disclose his whereabouts, release him without any delay,” they added.